Album for filmstrip storage

ABSTRACT

A book-like album which, in practice, stores filmstrip cans such that the identification thereon is visible through a transparent flap, or so-called spine, of the album and thus also serves as identification of the album.

United States Patent 1 Weingarden et al.

[451 Jan. 2, 1973 [54] ALBUM FOR FILMSTRIP STORAGE [76] Inventors: Marshall Weingarden, 60 East 8th Street, New York, NY. 10003; Harold H. Levitt, 313 Rutland Avenue, Teaneck, NJ.

[22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1971 [21] Appl.No.: 199,527

[52] US. Cl ..206/45.34, 206/45.31, 206/47 R, 206/DlG. 20, 206/DIG. 36

[51] Int. Cl ..B65d 25/54, B65d H36 [58] Field of Search ..206/45.34, 45.31, DIG. 20, 206/DIG. 36

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 752,537 2/1904 Eneas ..206/45.31 UX 3,315,718 4/1967 Herman ..206/D1G. 20 3,487,919 1/1970 Elliot et a1. ..206/65 R 3,642,125 2/1972 Johnson ..206/47 R Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Attorney-Bauer & Amer [5 7 ABSTRACT A book-like album which, in practice, stores filmstrip cans such that the identification thereon is visible through a transparent flap, or so-called spine, of the album and thus also serves as identification of the album.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures The present invention relates to an improved storage album for visual and audio subject matter.

There are in popular use albums for storing film strips and cassettes for providing interested parties with visual and audio information, respectively, concerning a particular subject. These albums are often arranged in libraries or the like, on shelves,like books.

It is an object of the present invention to contribute to the convenience in the use of these albums by obviating the need for labeling or otherwise applying identification thereto. The elimination of such labeling also contributes to the facilitated interchangeable use of these albums, since the removal and application of identification to the album is entirely dispensed with.

A filmstrip storage album demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention includes a tray for holding one or more identified filmstrip cans in such manner that such identification as exists on the can is readily visible when the album stands like a book on a bookcase shelf or the like. There is no need, therefore, for additional identification for the album per se.

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention, will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative embodiment in accordance with the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a typical use of the album hereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the album in its open condition and illustrating internal structural features thereof; and' FIG. 3 is a partial side elevational view, on an enlarged scale and in section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, showing further structural features of the album.

Shown in FIG. 1 are several albums, generally designated 10, demonstrating objects and advantages of the present invention, the albums being shown in a typical end use in which they are arranged like books on a shelf 12. The contents being stored in each album 10 includes filmstrips in cans 14, 16 (see FIG. 2). In accordance with the present invention, the identification labels 18 of these cans are visible through a transparent connecting flap or so-called spine 20 of each album. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the name or other identification markings on the labels 18 which identify the film strips within the cans 14, 16 also serve as identification for each of the albums 10, and it is thus not necessary that each album 10 have any identification or similar markings applied to it.

For details of the construction of the album 10,

reference is now made to FIGS. 2 and 3. Specifically,

each album 10 includes a book-like cover member which is divided into afront flap 22, the previously noted transparent connecting flap 20, and another flap 24. The flaps may be joined together by any appropriate means, as for example by heat sealing the connecting flap 20, which may be a transparent vinyl, to the front and rear flaps 22,24, as along heat seals 26 and 28.

Appropriately attached to the inner surface of the rear flap 24 is a vacuum-formed holding tray, generally designated 30. Tray 30 includes a peripheral lip 32 which is advantageously adhesively adhered to an underlying peripheral area of the rear flap 24. The

remaining body 34 of the tray is raised from the flap 24 and during its fabrication by vacuum forming, a technique which is well understood, it is provided with a cassette storage compartment 36 and two identical storage compartments 38 and 40 for each of the filmstrip cans 14 and 16. Thus, each album 10 typically stores material for visual and audio display of subject matter, the visual display being, of course, the filmstrips being stored within the cans l4 and 16 and the audio material being contained on the magnetic tape of the cassette 42 which is removablly stored in the compartment 36.

The wall configuration which bounds each storage compartment 38 and 40 is identical and, in accordance with the present invention, is capable of accommodating a can, such as can 14, in either of two positions as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 3. That is, can 14 can be inserted, for example, into compartment 38 in the direction 44 so that it is in spanning relation between the rear flap 24 and the front flap 22 when said front flap is in its closed position. Alternatively, can 14 can be inserted in direction 46, or in other words turned'90 from its previously noted orientation 44. When the can 14 is inserted and has an orientation in the direction 46, the identification marking or label 18 thereon is advantageously presented adjacent and in facing relation to the transparent connecting flap 20. Thus, when the front flap 20 is raised and folded over the top of the holding tray 30, the transparent connecting flap 20'is raised into a spanning position over the side wall 48 of tray 30 and thus also occupies a position in which the identification labels 18 are exposed through the transparent flap 20. In this manner, the identification 18 of the filmstrip cans l4 and 16 also serve as identification for each album 10, all as is clearly illustrated in FIG. 1.

Any appropriate configuration in the wall bounding each of the filmstrip can storage compartments 38, 40 will serve the ends of the present invention. In the illustrated embodiment, each compartment is actually formed of two intersecting cylindrical openings 50 and 52, each being ofa size to frictionally engage the cylindrical body of the filmstrip can.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure, and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. For ex ample, an opaque connecting flap 20 can be used with cutout openings 19 (see FIG. 1). Accordingly, it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

What is claimed is:

1. An album for filmstrip storage comprising a booklike cover member having a front flap, a rear flap, and a transparent connecting flap therebetween, said front and rear flaps being operatively arranged on said transparent connecting flap for movement from an open position through pivotal movement towards each other into a closed position, a holding tray attached to said rear flap and in supporting relation to and beneath said front flap in said closed position of said front flap, said holding tray having a side wall in proximate and facing relation to said transparent connecting flap, said side wall having storage compartments formed therein extending inwardly of said holding tray, and filmstrip cans having identification of their filmstrip contents disposed in said storage compartments with said identification visible through said transparent connecting flap, whereby said visible identification serves also as identification for said album.

2. An album for filmstrip storage as defined in claim 1 wherein each said storage compartment is constructed to also accommodate said cooperating filmstrip can when arranged longitudinally in spanning position between said front and rear flaps.

3. An album for filmstrip storage as defined in claim 2 wherein said storage compartment consists of two intersecting cylindrical openings oriented 90 out of phase with each other.

4. An album for filmstrip storage comprising a booklike cover member having a front flap, a rear flap, and a connecting flap therebetween, said front and rear flaps being operatively arranged on said connecting flap for movement from an open position through pivotal movement towards each other into a closed position, a holding tray attached to said rear flap and in supporting relation to and beneath said front flap in said closed position of said front flap, said holding tray having a side wall in proximate and facing relation to said connecting flap, said side wall having storage compartments formed therein extending inwardly of said holding tray, filmstrip cans having identification of their filmstrip contents disposed in said storage compartment, said connecting flap having openings therein so that said identification of said filmstrip cans is visible through said connecting flap, wherebysaid visible identification serves also as identification for said album. 

1. An album for filmstrip storage comprising a book-like cover member having a front flap, a rear flap, and a transparent connecting flap therebetween, said front and rear flaps being operatively arranged on said transparent connecting flap for movement from an open position through pivotal movement towards each other into a closed position, a holding tray attached to said rear flap and in supporting relation to and beneath said front flap in said closed position of said front flap, said holding tray having a side wall in proximate and facing relation to said transparent connecting flap, said side wall having storage compartments formed therein extending inwardly of said holding tray, and filmstrip cans having identification of their filmstrip contents disposed in said storage compartments with said identification visible through said transparent connecting flap, whereby said visible identification serves also as identification for said album.
 2. An album for filmstrip storage as defined in claim 1 wherein each said storage coMpartment is constructed to also accommodate said cooperating filmstrip can when arranged longitudinally in spanning position between said front and rear flaps.
 3. An album for filmstrip storage as defined in claim 2 wherein said storage compartment consists of two intersecting cylindrical openings oriented 90* out of phase with each other.
 4. An album for filmstrip storage comprising a book-like cover member having a front flap, a rear flap, and a connecting flap therebetween, said front and rear flaps being operatively arranged on said connecting flap for movement from an open position through pivotal movement towards each other into a closed position, a holding tray attached to said rear flap and in supporting relation to and beneath said front flap in said closed position of said front flap, said holding tray having a side wall in proximate and facing relation to said connecting flap, said side wall having storage compartments formed therein extending inwardly of said holding tray, filmstrip cans having identification of their filmstrip contents disposed in said storage compartment, said connecting flap having openings therein so that said identification of said filmstrip cans is visible through said connecting flap, whereby said visible identification serves also as identification for said album. 